Known, non-portable word-processors are electronic keyboard devices which can manipulate, or process text input to the device as alpha-numeric characters from a conventional, designated-key keyboard, such as the "Qwerty" keyboard for typewriters, teleprinters and computer terminals, in response to a programme and instructions input to the device via the keyboard and pass the processed text on to printing or other devices.
Any word-processor should include the features of:
a "cursor", to enable any part of the text stored in a memory to be displayed;
"editing", to enable the insertion, deletion or correction of text; and
"print formatting", for the control of a printer for the "lay-out" of edited text when it is printed, such as left and right margin justification and/or tabulation and/or margin indenting and/or end of page pause.
The term "non-portable" is meant, in the context of this description, to be a device which is not self-powered and is not capable of easily being carried from one place to another.
A portable electronic keyboard device is known in the form of a portable teletype machine having a conventional keyboard which will store alpha-numeric character next and typing instructions input to the machine in much the same way as a conventional teleprinter, the machine also having the facility to allow any text in the display to be deleted before it is stored. This facility does not make such a machine a word-processor within the meaning of this description.
Electronic devices are also known having a "touch-type" or "chord" keyboard, wherein a character is input by an operator by the operation of a chord of a combination of one or more keys.